Waste and biomass resources represent a promising opportunity to decouple chemical and polymer production from conventional fossil fuel feedstocks, but such a broad solution space can also make for challenging decision-making. This talk will introduce key analysis techniques such as techno-economic analysis, life cycle assessment, and material flow analysis, including how they are conducted, how they can benchmark the competitiveness and environmental impacts of new innovations, and how they can identify opportunities for prioritization and optimization. Using a series of examples related to plastic recycling and chemical manufacturing, we will explore how analysis can guide where and how to leverage waste carbon in supply chains toward a more sustainable and circular economy.

Bio: Dr Taylor Uekert is an interdisciplinary scientist dedicated to solving waste and climate challenges with a circular economy. She has a B.S. in nanoengineering from the University of California San Diego and a PhD in chemistry from the University of Cambridge, where she studied photocatalytic systems for transforming waste into fuel. Her current research at the National Laboratory of the Rockies explores the environmental and supply chain impacts of emerging chemical manufacturing and plastic recycling strategies through transparent and accessible modeling approaches.